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I hesitate to even write this, because I imagine very few people will understand. But here goes nothin’.
When we got up this morning, it was 3ºC outside. That’s 37ºF. I don’t know what it was inside, but I imagine it wouldn’t be a surprise if it was 15ºC or 59ºF all day long in the house.
I know, I know - deal with it, right? I could be in Canada, with temperatures well below 0ºC and snow (let me tell you, we would get a fair bit of snow here if it was rainy season instead of dry season).
I’m not complaining about living in Mexico — I just love Mexico. But as the temperatures continue to drop, there are some unique challenges.
There’s no central heating in any buildings, including our house. That means that it’s a challenge to keep warm, and keep the kids warm. In Canada you go inside and warm up - but here it’s cold inside too, and we suspect that the lingering coughs and sniffles the kids have are related to the chilly weather. Both the kids have warm jackets now - and they can wear them to school and in school.
The teachers at Nathanael’s school asked that we send water for him at room temperature, because the water at the school was too cold.
Shari and I are still sleeping on a matress on the floor (you may remember our box spring didn’t fit up the stairs), so we’re increasingly motivated to find a solution, since the floor is a lot colder than the rest of the room.
In Canada, keeping the house cooler and using space heaters is a way to save energy. Here, using space heaters uses a lot of energy, and since the houses aren’t as well sealed, they can waste a lot of energy.
So believe it or not, mock if you will, deride, but the cold really is a challenge for us. We’re concerned about our health, and concerned about not being wasteful.
When it gets cold, our Mexican friends say,"Oh, but you’re used to this. You’re from Canada". Ironically, the opposite is true. They’re used to it, and we’re not.
Now excuse me while I go stand in front of the oven.
Read this post for more on my theory about Canadians, Mexicans and cold weather.
How do you think we feel…we’re from Florida!
No I ‘ m not gonna mock an dderide you Jim. This is our situation too, when it get thatcold here.We also use space heaters or small coal stoves to keep warm.And of course wear lts of warm clothes.And you know we are Indians! LOL
Thanks for the votes of confidence!
By the way, I just heard that there is freezing weather in 19 states in Mexico right now. Kinda makes you wonder what January is going to be like, doesn’t it?
Oh, that’s awful! It’s winter here, and I feel chilled when the house is set to 18.
What a rough spot to be in. Yuck. Yeah, stay warm you crazy kids…
And we’d love to give you the chance to test out your webcam. Think we’ll receive ok with dial-up? Should we set a rendevouz time?
Alan
THANK YOU for this post! We’re always trying to explain to people “back home” about how cold it gets here in northern Mexico in November thru March. Like you, I always point out how the cinderblock & concrete structures keep the cold inside - we have to open the windows in the day when it warms up to let the heat IN! Of course I usually get dubious looks when I tell people to bring sweaters & jackets to Mexico. They all seem to have an image that Mexico is nothing but hot deserts, steamy jungles, or palm-lined sandy beaches. Maybe I need to spend more time in those parts of Mexico!
We hosted a team of 23 Canadians (I LOVE YOU CANADIANS!!!) a couple of weeks ago and, while they admitted that normally 8 degrees C isn’t considered cold nor bothersome in Alberta, this temp does indeed have a different feeling in Mexico! I felt vindicated.
I think I do understand your predicament with the cold. We Canadians would be complaining if we had to wear winter jackets in our homes in the winter. It would mean that our power was off or the furnace wasn’t working. From another post you wrote I gather it must be colder than it was in Cuernavaca. is that because of higher elevation?
Thanks for your comments! I feel a lot better now.
People have looked at me funny too when I’ve tried to warn them to dress warm.
It’s hard to compare to Canada in the end, because, after all, if the power was out and the furnace wasn’t working in Canada it could be a mater of life and death!
Yes, we got cold in Cuernavaca too, but it is colder here.
As with many things, the temperature AND how each person FEELS IT are relative right? No pun intended!
It’s like saying how rich or poor we are in material terms.
Last winter, in our gas-centrally heated mobile home, I remember being cold a lot of the time. Sometimes it depends on how windy it is outside and the direction of the wind too. So I invested in a cozy new track suit, with a zippered jacket that I can quickly throw off if I’m working over a hot stove or sink and suddenly feel way too warm! We also have plastic on some of our windows which should also help.
As I often say, “This isn’t heaven!!” But hey! What we have to look forward to!!! We’ll ALWAYS feel perfectly comfortable in every respect!! Yahoo!!! Thank You Lord!